The first question I usually hear from my guests is: what are those Hołny Wolmera? It must be admitted that we have quite unusual names in the Sejny region. On the way you can pass Poćkuny or Jenoraście, perhaps Wiłkokuk and Nożegary. There are also Half-cats, nomen omen halfway interrupted by the road and magically appearing again a bit further, behind another "Półkoty" sign.
So I am answering straight away: in the 18th century, two newcomers came to the Sejny region. The first was a Polish deputy to the Great Sejm and his name was Kazimierz Wolmer. The other probably did not like standing still: he was of German origin, but he lived in Livonia, and finally settled near Sejny. His name was Jan Meyer. It is not known how much they had in common except for one thing - they married well. They joined the Chlewiński family, one got married to Anna, the other to Rachela, and the properties they took over began to be named after their surnames.
You don't have to make a special effort to imagine what Hołny looked like three centuries ago. Further, roe deer and hares can be seen on daily walks. Further on, there are a couple of houses in a cross in each village. We are over half a kilometer from our neighbor. The lakes are still wildly overgrown and clean as centuries ago. There are two new things, that's for sure: the internet (you can catch it even in our forest house) and the border with Lithuania, 300 meters from the habitat. With us you will see how easy it is to exceed them in every dimension.
Welcome to the border where Poles and Lithuanians live together. Cultures and languages intertwine and merge, and the Sejny region community cares for its common heritage.
Our house is located in one of the vast villages - in Hołny Wolmera. On a daily basis, however, it does not feel like a village, but more like a remote area - the house is located in the forest, among meadows, just a few hundred meters from the border and less than 2 kilometers from a beautiful lake located at the junction of two countries. The house is built of thick logs, with an aspen roof. It has 132 square meters. Outside, on two sides, there is a terrace (62 m2), where all the holiday lazing takes place. On the terrace there is a table made of over a hundred-year-old barn doors and chairs, armchairs and deckchairs. Around 3 hectares of your own habitat, forest and fields. Behind the house there is a 20-hectare meadow, perfect for flying a kite.
The house is very comfortable to use. On the ground floor there is a large living room with an open kitchen, a fireplace and a huge sofa. On the right side there is a bedroom with balcony doors leading to the terrace. The floors on the ground floor are made of loft stone, which makes them pleasantly cool on warm days. There is also a large bathroom with a shower downstairs.
There are wooden stairs leading to the first floor, and then there is a beautiful wooden parquet floor. And therefore, a huge request: do not wear shoes on the first floor of the house, and if you come with a dog, do not let your pet upstairs. There is a railing near the stairs on the ground floor that makes this task easier.
On the first floor there is a second bathroom and two bedrooms. Each of them can sleep two people. The largest one has a restored wardrobe that is over 100 years old. In total, we have 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and a huge common area connected to the kitchen (62 m2).
You cook what you want but you never had time. I am leaving you a basket full of wonderful spices brought from different parts of the world. You have a fully equipped kitchen and a terrace at your disposal, perfect for candlelight dinners lasting until the night.
For fresh eggs, go to Mrs. Pietuszewska, who lives on the road to Berżniki. The best fish can be found in the Sieja store in Sejny, there is also a vegetable market there on Tuesdays and Fridays, where you can buy fresh fruit and make jam from them. In Sejny there is also (close to the Biedronka store) a well-stocked Lithuanian store (RUTA), selling smoked tenderloins and kindziuk, and Vynoteka, which has a nice collection of wines and, importantly, inexpensive ones.
If cooking is not your forte, go to Dworek Hołny in Hołny Mejera (road to Ogrodniki), where you can eat the best zander on zucchini pancakes, tench, trout, whitefish, but also beef cheeks, and for dessert home-made ice cream. A little closer there is the Fishgrill Fish Fry at Lake Hołny and the Restaurant at the Skarpa Hotel in Sejny, where Lithuanian cuisine is the specialty.
The Sejny region is a borderland of cultures, where Poles, Lithuanians, Jews and Belarusians lived side by side over the last century. This is where the Borderland of Arts, Cultures and Nations Center (Sejny) is located, which, like no other, combines everything that is good from the Borderland. The resort organizes concerts, performances and workshops - if you want to learn about the culture of the region, be sure to check what events are planned during your stay at Sosnowe Wzgórze.
In the house among the trees, near the lakes and a stone's throw from the border, there is a lot to catch your breath. You don't have to move anywhere - you can walk barefoot in the meadows, pick wild strawberries, watch birds, look for animals from wooden pulpits and laze around carelessly doing nothing. The nearest neighbor is so far away that you can feel like in the middle of nowhere. The nearest lake, Bałądz, is a 15-minute walk through the village or along the border strip.
There are also many places in the area that you can visit and spend time actively. I recommend taking a look at this shortlist:
* Berżniki - the first town in the Suwałki Region, with a church from the early 19th century and a parish from the 15th century (both restored buildings). Berźniki used to have city rights, granted to them by Queen Bona, but they lost them to Sejny. You can read more here (https://portretywsi.pl/berzniki-prezento-miasto-na-suwalszczyznie/) *Łempis Reserve (8.5 km from the house) and Tobolinka Reserve (22 km). Both reserves are famous for their wildlife and are close enough for an afternoon walk.
* Canoeing. There are at least a few options here, and apart from kayaking on the well-known rivers: Hańcza and Rospuda, we recommend our Marycha - a very winding and picturesque river, flowing through almost the entire Sejny region, right next to the border with Lithuania. There are several routes to choose from on all rivers, varying in difficulty. The nearest kayak rental is in Giby.
* The manor house in Krasnogruda, where Czesław Miłosz used to spend his holidays. The manor is located on Lake Hołny and belongs to the Borderland Center - it also hosts cultural events.
* Vilnius is 170 km from us, Trakai Castle is 140 km away, so it's hard to find a better starting point in Poland for getting to know our eastern neighbor. If you do not want to go on your own, you will certainly find offers of various one-day trips in local travel agencies.
* In the summer, the Pogranicze Center organizes concerts of the Klezmer Orchestra (check the Summer in Pogranicze Program)
* It is 35 km to the Wigry Landscape Park, and there you can walk in silence along the educational paths winding by the lake or use the Wigry Narrow-Gauge Railway. which runs through the picturesque forests of the Augustowska Forest and the Wigry National Park
* A little further, 60 km from the house, there is (the most beautiful in our opinion) Suwałki Landscape Park
* Bridge in Stańczyki - the highest bridges in our country, which in its construction refers to the elements characteristic of Roman aqueducts in Pont de Gard. The building was built in 1926.
* Dowspuda - the remains of the neo-Gothic Pac Palace, which can be seen during a one-day canoeing trip on the Rospuda River (near the village of Raczki)
What’s there for children?
The charms of the house will be appreciated primarily by adults - it is an oasis of silence and beautiful places that can be discovered on daily walks and with excellent conditions for creative work. However, if you want to come with children - you are welcome, just take into account that the habitat area is not fenced and there are no balustrades on the terrace - you need to be careful.
Children can enjoy simple, rural entertainment and enjoy spending whole days in nature. There are meadows full of cornflowers and poppies waiting for them, from which they can make collages or bouquets for their mother. There will be swimming in the lake and playing hide and seek in the forest. There are balls, badminton equipment and board games on site. My closest neighbor has herds of lovely goats... :) Bicycles, fishing rods and Wellington boots are very useful here, because the morning fog leaves a charming dew.
What’s there for employees?
Come and visit us for workation! You can easily make a video call, receive e-mails and send larger attachments without any problems. Internet is available throughout the house and on the terrace. If you don't turn on the music yourself, you will have peace and quiet disturbed only by the chirping of birds.
We invite everyone who works from a semi-reclined position to the most comfortable couch you have ever sat on. However, if you need a table, no problem. There is a very large six-person table in the living room and a large table on the terrace (for at least 4 people). There is one small table in the upstairs room. You can always move to rooms that are locked. Outside you will find sun loungers and comfortable armchairs. Since you rent the house exclusively, no one will disturb you.
